Delaware Geological Survey Digital Data Preservation

The goal of this project was to provide digital images of DGS photographs and slides and to create metadata for the digital image holdings of the DGS. Of all the data holdings of the Delaware Geological Survey, digital images (digital photography, scans, slides, etc.) are the most time sensitive for documentation and creation of metadata. The DGS has invested time and personnel over the past several years to scan slides and photographs to get them into a digital format. These images, especially those taken in color are subject to deterioration and color degradation with time. These images record natural hazard events such as stream and coastal flooding, core images, drill site images, documentation of data collection projects such as coring, and significant events in the history of the DGS. It is vital to create metadata for these images while those who the photographs or have institutional memory of the events are still at the DGS or can be contacted.

Most images, whether analog or digital, do not have vital information (metadata) associated with them that allows for the greatest use of the image and documentation. Over the past few years, a major data preservation effort of the DGS has entailed scanning analog images into a digital format and creating associated metadata for search and discovery, and to provide documentation for users.

Digital images and metadata resulting from this project will be used to support DGS research, service, and educational efforts as well as to help populate the National Digital Catalog maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This project was conducted in cooperation with USGS National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program.